Walking With Jesus (Salvation) Sample
FALSE CONFESSION
“Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:21-23)
Christianity is a matter of relationship. It is not just a religion. Christianity is a relationship with Christ as someone's personal Lord and Savior. There is no true Christianity without a relationship. Therefore, we must be very serious in our relationship with the Lord. Our attitudes, ways of thinking, and actions must reflect the fruit of repentance whenever and wherever we are. The fruit of salvation must be seen in the life of the believers.
Today's text is a strong warning for all of us. It says that the Lord would reject many people to enter the Kingdom of Heaven because of the "crime" they committed. What was their crime? Were not what they did—prophesying in the name of God, casting out demons in the name of the Lord, and performing many miracles in the name of the Lord, extraordinary, awesome, and wonderful? That might be true for many people, but it was not the case for the Lord. They did evil things because they did their own will and not the will of the Father in heaven.
The Lord confirmed that He did not know these people at all. They professed that they knew God and used His name for their interest. However, they could not deceive God. Claiming things does not make someone known by God. Claiming things does not make someone have a relationship with that person. We can claim that we know the president, but as long as we don't have a relationship with the president, we don't know him at all. The same thing applies to God. Our mere confession is not enough to have a relationship with God.
We have to be serious with the Lord. We must strive to do the will of the Father after being saved. All our thoughts, feelings, desires, and actions must truly reflect our belief in the salvation we have received. We will be rejected and cast out when we are not serious. We must continuously build a relationship with the Lord every day. We must be willing to be molded by God through everything He has prepared for us. We have to spend our lives in this short world to serve Him.
Reflection:
1. Think about it, what is your motivation for living this life? For whom are you doing all this?
2. What are you doing to get to know the Lord better?
Application:
Learn to live for God and the Lord only.
Scripture
About this Plan
Salvation is at the heart of the entire Bible. What should we do, as believers who have received salvation, so that other people can receive the same salvation? Through this "Walking with Jesus" devotional series, we will learn how to grow the fruit of salvation and fulfill our calling as followers of Christ.
More